Pornography headache

• Published in: Clinical neurology and neurosurgery Vol. 164; pp. 11 - 13
• Main Authors: Chen, Wei-Hsi, Chen, Kuo Yen, Yin, Hsin-Ling
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.01.2018; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Arousal; Cerebrovascular system; Conflicts of interest; Erotic; Erotica; Eroticism; Gender identity; Headache; Headache - diagnostic imaging; Headache - etiology; Headaches; Heterosexual; Humans; Indomethacin; Male; Muscle contraction; Neurology; Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; Pain; Pornography; Pornography & obscenity; Sexual activity; Sexual behavior; Sexual Behavior - physiology; Systematic review; Vasoconstriction; Veins & arteries; Velocity; Headache; Sexual activity; Pornography; Heterosexual; Erotic
• ISSN: 0303-8467; 1872-6968
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2017.10.026

•Pornographic headache results from visuoneural uncoupling.•Sexual-arousal-mediated vascular dysregulation causes the pain.•Indomethacin is beneficiary for pornographic headache. The headache associated with intercourse or masturbatory activity is a well-recognized clinical entity but pornography headache is barely mentioned. We report a young man who suffered preorgasmic headache pertaining only to pornography of specific erotic contents but not to other sexual or nonsexual act. An antecedent activation of sexual arousal and vasoconstriction during pain were found. Finally, oral indomethacin favorably prevented the pain. Therefore, pornography headache is a distinguished headache disorder distinct from other sexual-related headache disorders. Sexual arousal-mediated cerebrovascular dysregulation consequence to visuoneural uncoupling in response to erotic stimulus is proposed. Pornography headache may be underestimated in population as pain-killer overuse may mask the actual incidence in real world.